Grinding wheel



Oct. 23, 1956 G. R. VASBINDER GRINDING WHEEL Filed Oct. 1 4, 1955GEORGE/P. lass/Nob? BY @w,M,Mf@ -1 A TTORNEYS.

rates This invention relates to grinding or similar abrasive wheelshaving means for radial expansion whereby the efiective working orabrading diameter of the wheel may be selectively adjusted or varied.

It is well known that grinding and other abrasive wheels having aperipheral grinding or abrading surface decrease in diameterprogressively as work proceeds and the abrasive material wears away. Insome kinds of grinding and abrading operations this decrease in diameteris of no particular significance but in others the decrease in diameteris intolerable and often necessitates employing some other, andfrequently more expensive or less satisfactory, method or means foreffecting a given grinding or abrading operation.

Apart from the matter of wear and consequent change in diameter, certainjobs may require the use of a wheel of a certain effective diameter, byreason of which the ability to adjust or vary the effective abradingdiameter or radius is of great practical value.

The present invention provides an abrasive wheel wherein the peripheralgrinding or abrading portion of the wheel is made up of a plurality ofsegments which are mounted and guided for joint radial inward andoutward movement, whereby the effective diameter of the working surfaceportion of the wheel may be varied at will between predetermined limits.Furthermore, the arrangement of the present invention is such that theinward and outward radial adjusting movements of the several abrasivesegments are controlled and guided in such manner that the movements aredirectly radial and without any possibility or likelihood of angular orother movements which would tend to disturb or disrupt the generalcircularity of the abrasive surface.

The wheel of the present invention is further so arranged that theradial movements of the several segments are accurately synchronized andtake place jointly upon a single adjusting movement or manipulation,each segment moving straight out or in in a radial direction in the samedegree as all other segments and with no bodily inclination, cocking orother misalignment.

Various other objects and advantages incident upon use of the abradingor grinding wheel of the present invention will appear from a study ofthe following specification and the accompanying drawing. However, it isto be understood that the embodiments set forth in the specification andillustrated in the drawing are by way of example only and that theprinciples of the present invention are not limited thereto or otherwisethan as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a general side elevational view of one form of the abrasivewheel of the present invention with portions thereof broken away foradded illustration;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken approximately on the line IIII ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the abrasive wheel of Fig. 1showing one of the abrasive segments thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view looking at the abrasive surface of amodified form of the abrasive wheel of the present invention.

Like characters of reference denote like parts throughout the severalfigures of the drawing and, referring particularly to Fig. 2, thenumeral designates a central atent ice supporting bushing for thegrinding wheel assembly generally. A pair of discoidal members 11 and 12are mounted on bushing 10 for free rotation and a pair of clamp rings orflanges 13 and 14 are threaded onto the opposite ends of bushing 10 insuch manner that they may bear in clamping relation against the externalsurfaces of discoidal members 11 and 12.

The numeral 15 designates generally one of a series of segmentalmembers, each comprising an abrasive block portion 16 and a mounting andclamping portion. As shown in Fig. 2 the mounting or clamping portioncomprises a pair of clamping blocks 18 and 19 which are removably heldin the relationship shown in Fig. 2 by a screw'20 which passes throughblock 19 and threads into block 18. As thus arranged the clamping blocks18 and 19 form a channel for receiving the abrasive block 16. Theclamping blocks 18 and 19 and the abrasive block 16 are provided withcomplementary tongue and groove formations as at 21 so that the abrasiveblock 16 is clamped within the channel formed by blocks 18 and 19 in aninterlocking manner.

Clamping block 19 is formed with a radially extending key formation 24which fits slidably in a complementary groove formation in discoidalmember 11, the latter being formed with a plurality of radiating equallyspaced grooves for receiving the keys 24 of each of the clamping blocks19. The assembly comprising the blocks 18 and 19 and abrasive member 16is thus guided for radial bodily movement between the discoidal members11 and 12.

Radial inward and outward movement of the segment members 15 iscontrolled by a series of links 28 which act between bushing 10 and theblocks 18 of the segments. An external annular flange 29 is formed onbushing 10 and an internal annular flange 30 is provided on clampingblock 18. The opposite ends of the several links 28 are bifurcated asclearly shown in Fig. 2 and pivotally engage the flanges 29 and 30 as at31 and 32.

One end of hub member 10 is externally flatted as at 34 and flangemember 14 is provided with a hexagonal hub formation 35. The flat 34 andhexagonal hub formation 35 are engaged by wrenches or the like totighten and loosen flange member 14 to clamp and unclamp the segmentclamping blocks 18 and 19 between discoidal members 11 and 12. With thisclamping relationship loosened one may grasp any of the segments 15 androtate the same relative to hub member 10, which relative rotation willmove the segments radially inward or outward, depending on the directionof relative rotation. The segments will move synchronously since eachlink 28 will receive the same degree of angular adjustment as theothers.

As the parts are shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 the segments 15 are in theirinnermost radial position since the abrasive blocks 16 are abutting theexternal peripheries of the discoidal members 11 and 12. If the segments15 be moved in a counterclockwise direction relative to hub 10, asviewed in Fig. 1, the links 28 will tend to assume a more erect or morenearly radial position which will move all of the segments 15 radiallyoutwardly in like degree, their movements being guided by the keyformation 24 and the complementary groove in clamp block 19.

Fig. 4 shows fragmentarily a modified arrangement of the abrasive blockportions or segment portions of the grinding wheel of the presentinvention. The details of construction not shown in Fig. 4 are the sameas in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Referring to Fig. 4, the numerals 41 and 42designate a pair of discoidal members similar to the discoidal members11 and 12 of the preceding embodiment.

In Fig. 4 the abrasive block portions of the segment members aredesignated 43 and it will be noted that their facing ends are cut offobliquely (or helically) with respect to the periphery of the abrasivewheel generally. This produces an overlapping action as between theabrasion effected or produced by the several successive segments, muchin the manner. of the helical cutting fiutes of a helical millingcutter.

In grinding flat surfaces the segments 43 of the embodiment of Fig. 4will overlap in their action in an obvious manner to produce a smoother,grinding action and, therefore, a smoother surface.

I claim:

1. In a grinding wheel, a central supporting bushing, a plurality ofcircumferentially arranged abrasive segments, discoidal means rotatablymounted on said bushing and having radially extending guiding formationsfor guiding said segments toward and away from said bushing, a pluralityof links each pivoted at its inner end to said bushing and at it outerend to one of said segments whereby joint rotation of said segments andsaid discoidal means relative to said bushing projects and retracts saidsegments jointly in a radial direction, and means selectively andreleasably securing said discoidal means relative to said bushing tomaintain a desired radial adjustment of said segments.

2. In an abrasive wheel, a central supporting bushing, a plurality ofcircularly arranged abrading segments, discoidal means rotatably mountedon said bushing and having radially extending guiding formations forguiding said segments toward and away from said bushing, a plurality oflinks each pivoted at its inner end to said bushing and at its outer endto one of said segments whereby joint rotation of said segments and saiddiscoidal means relative to said bushing projects and retracts saidsegments jointly in a radial direction, and means selectively andreleasably securing said discoidal means and said segments againstrelative movement to maintain a desired radial adjustment of saidsegments.

3. In a grinding wheel, a central supporting bushing, a plurality ofcircumferentially arranged abrasive segments, a pair of discoidalmembers rotatably mounted on said bushing to engage opposite sides ofsaid segments and having radially extending guiding formations forguiding said segments toward and away from said bushing, a plurality oflinks each pivoted at its inner end to said bushing and at its outer endto one of said segments whereby joint rotation of said segments and saiddiscoidal means relative to said bushing projects and retracts saidsegments jointly in a radial direction, and means selectively andreleasably securing said discoidal means relative to said bushing tomaintain a desired radial adjustment of said segments.

4. In an abrading wheel, a central supporting bushing, a plurality ofcircumferentially arranged abrasive segments, a pair of discoidalmembers rotatably mounted on said bushing to engage opposite sides ofsaid segments and having radially extending guiding formations forguiding said segments toward and away from said bushing, a plurality oflinks each pivoted at its inner end to said bushing and at its outer endto one of said segments whereby joint rotation of said segments and saiddiscoidal means relative to said bushing projects and re-.

tracts said segments jointly in a radial direction, and meansselectively and releasably securing said discoidal means and saidsegment against relative movement to maintain a desired radialadjustment of said segments.

5. In an abrading wheel, a central supporting member, a plurality ofcircumferentially arranged abrasive segments, discoidal means rotatablymounted on said bushing and having guiding formations for guiding saidsegments for radial sliding movement toward and away from said bushing,a plurality of links each pivoted at its inner end to said bushing forangular movement in the plane of said wheel and at its outer end to oneof said segments whereby joint rotation of said segments and saiddiscoidal means relative to said bushing project and retracts saidsegments jointly in a radial direction, and means selectively andreleasably securing said segments to maintain a desired radialadjustment thereof.

6. In a grinding wheel, a central support member bushing, a plurality ofcircumferentially arranged abrasive seg ments, discoidal means rotatablymounted on said support member and having radially extending guidingformations for guiding said segments toward and away from said supportmember, a plurality of links each pivoted at its inner end to saidsupport member and at its outer end to one of said segments wherebyjoint rotation of said segments and said discoidal means relative tosaid support member projects and retracts said segments jointly in aradial direction, and means having threaded engagement with said supportmember for selectively and releasably securing said discoidal meansrelative to said segments to maintain a desired radial adjustment ofsaid segments.

7. In an abrading wheel, a central support member bushing, a pluralityof circumferentially arranged abrasive segments, discoidal meansrotatably mounted on said support member and having radially extendingguiding formations for guiding said segments toward and away from saidsupport member, a plurality of links each pivoted at its inner end tosaid support member and at its outer end to one of said segments wherebyjoint rotation of said segments and said discoidal means relative tosaid support member projects and retracts said segments jointly in aradial direction, and means having threaded engagement with said supportmember for selectively and releasably securing said segments againstradial movement.

8. In an abrading wheel, a central supporting member, a plurality ofcircumferentially arranged abrading segments, means mounted for rotationrelative to said supporting member and having radially extending guidingformations for guiding said segments for radial inward and outwardmovement, a plurality of links each pivoted at its inner end to saidsupporting member and at its outer end to one of said segments wherebyjoint rotation of said segments and said rotatably mounted meansrelative to said support member projects and retracts said segmentsjointly in a radial direction, and means selectively and releasablysecuring said rotatably mounted means relative to said supporting memberto maintain a desired radial adjustment of said segments.

9. In an abrading wheel, a central supporting member, a plurality ofcircumferentially arranged abrading segments, means mounted for rotationrelative to said supporting member and having radially extending guidingformations for guiding said segments for radial inward and outwardmovement, a plurality of links each pivoted at its inner end to saidsupporting member and at its outer end to one of said segments wherebyjoint rotation of said segments and said rotatably mounted meansrelative to said supporting member projects and retracts said segmentsjointly in a radial direction, and means selectively and releasablysecuring said rotatably mounted means and said segments against relativemovement to maintain a desired radial adjustment of said segments.

10. In an abrading wheel, a central supporting mem ber, a plurality ofcircumferentially arranged abrading segments, means mounted for rotationrelative to said supporting member and having radially extending guidingformations for guiding said segments for radial inward and outwardmovement, a plurality of links each pivoted at its inner end to saidsupporting member and at its outer end to one of said segments wherebyjoint rotation of said segments and said rotatably mounted meansrelative to said supporting member projects and retracts said segmentsjointly in a radial direction, and means having threaded engagement withsaid supporting member for securing said rotatably mounted meansrelative to said segments to maintain radial adjustment of the latter.

No references cited.

